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'Judge strikes down Tennessee guns-in-bars law', WTOP.com

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http://www.wtop.com/?nid=111&sid=1819185 [Excerpt]
Tennessee previously banned handguns in all locations where alcohol was served. The new law made an exception for establishments that serve at least one meal on five days per week and that "the serving of such meals shall be the principal business conducted." Tennessee has no legal definition to distinguish bars from restaurants.
 

Task Force 16

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Why the hell do we need laws that define "bars" and "restaraunts" that serve alcohol? Anybody not able to tell the difference probably should get arrested, just for being stupid.

How can this judge say that the language of the new law is too vague? It clearly stated, defining a "restaraunt" that serves alcohol, as a place of business whose prominent purpose is to serve food.

Why is it, that a dumb hayseed like myself can understand the law as it's written better than a judge, who is suppose to be formally trained in the law?

Here in Perry County we have a couple of bars (beer joints). They do notserve food. I understood the law to mean that I could not carry my sidearm into those establishments.

As Fred Thompson asks, "Why do they call it common sense, when it is so un-common?"


edited for typos
 

Task Force 16

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I justemailed a "letter to the editor" to my local newspaper, The Bufallo RiverReview.

It reads,

We’re not smart enough?

Well folks, it appears that a Davidson County Judge thinks that Tennesseans are too stupid to be able to distinguish between a "bar" and a "restaurant" that serves alcohol. If you'll recall, back on July 14 of this year, a new law went into effect that allows holders of a TN Handgun Carry Permit (HCP) to carry their self-defense sidearm’s into restaurants that serve alcohol. This new statute was actually an amendment to the gun laws that forbid firearms in establishments that serve booze, making an exception for persons holding a valid HCP. On Friday Nov. 20, Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman claimed the new law was "fraught with ambiguity" and "unconstitutionally vague". Her ruling strikes down the new law.

The language in the new statute, clearly "defines" a "restaurant" that serves alcohol to be "an establishment that serves food at least once a day for at least 5 days a week and whose prominent purpose is to serve food". Would the Hitching Rail or Cadillac Lounge (local beer joints) fit this description? From what I've been told about these places, no way. Think Texas Roadhouse, Logan's, or O'Charlie's, they would. How hard is that to figure out. If it's a place where you could take the whole family (including the kids) to dine, it most likely fits the definition.

Legislators have already promised to re-write the statutes to clear up any "ambiguities" and get it passed again ASAP. It appears that Chancellor Bonnyman based her ruling on semantics, and not public policy of the issue.

It should be noted that the law has been in effect for 4 months. So far, there has been no reports of shootings in a restaurant that serves alcohol, by HCP holders, as was predicted by the plaintiff’s, before the law went into effect.

Jerry Morris
Lobelville, TN
HCP holder

I'll let ya know if they publish it.
 

suntzu

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they have simply delayed the inevitable.

I would like to see them go a step further this time and make TN like AK--no permit required to OC or CC, and you only need a permit if you want to carry out of state.

I would also like to see the legislature make OC or long guns legal--like AZ....
 

Task Force 16

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The Buffalo River Review published my LTE in this weeks edition. They didn't change anything, other than split a paragrah to make two.

I wonder what sort of responses it will get in next weeks edition?
 
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